Reply to Why Do/Did Your 11-yo Boy Overeat?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]It's not a lot but he'd eat more if we let him. We already limit carbs to one serving but let him have his meats. And he'd ask what breakfasts gonna be before bed.

I'm really trying to find out why he's obsessed with food.[/quote]

He's obsessed with food because he's growing, and on the cusp of growing even more quickly, and his body is screaming at him that he needs food to prepare for upcoming growth, but it's being denied to him.  He NEEDS carbs for growth and limiting him to one serving is cruel and setting him up for failure.

He's also obsessed with food because he doesn't consistently get his needs met in this area, so he's constantly worried about the next time that's going to happen.

Put healthy food on the table, and allow him to monitor for himself how much he eats.  Two pork chops, or three pieces of chicken, and a couple servings of rice or potatoes is a good place to start a meal for a kid at this stage.[/quote]

[b]Don't you guys get it?  There are some kids (of course, not the majority... but a few) who are obsessed with food and cannot make healthy decisions without their parents' help to guide them and teach them.  [/b]I wish it were not the case, but I have to take a strong role in my son's diet.  I did not make him obsessed with food... he has been this way his whole life.  I'm got to monitor and teach and hope that the lessons sink in before he goes off on his own.[/quote]

I don't disagree that what you typed is true.  There are some kids like that.  But this is a kid who was able to monitor his diet well enough to have an appropriate weight gain in only 9 months.  That's particularly amazing given that it takes

This is also a kid who is currently not getting adequate portions.  Giving a kid who is obsessed with food inadequate portions is not the solution. If you're going to police how much they eat, then know that 1 piece of chicken is not an appropriate amount for a boy on the cusp of puberty.

What you're teaching him now is that he is going to be hungry in the future so stock up when you can.  That's the lesson that will "sink in".  I know because my mother parented the same way.  Despite living in a million dollar house, I went to bed starving almost every night.  At your son's age, I was begging my friends to let me have sleep overs because I knew I'd get an adequate portion for dinner for a change.  All 3 of my mother's children have struggled hugely with the issue as adults.    One of my siblings is overweight to the point that they're currently living in a rehab facility because they can't transfer from their wheelchair to a toilet and back.  The other one of my siblings almost lost their job (pilot) because of weight related health conditions.

Don't do that to your kids.
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